The call ended, and Jing Lei stopped, looking at me. She knew what it was about, but Xiao Hong was still present, so she didn't ask.
I called Da Kui and told him that the Crown Prince had lost a truckload of stones and suspected us. He was coming to investigate, so I ordered all security guards to enter a state of high alert, but under no circumstances were they to engage without my command.
Da Kui replied, "Isn't it better if he comes? We can just deal with him directly."
I said, "I have an agreement with him: whoever loses has to shut down their trading. Since he's bound to lose, I'm looking forward to this kind of bloodless battle."
Da Kui agreed and hung up.
The people who unloaded the truck at the old house today were all stationed with Da Kui for the night. They weren't sent to the workshop because I didn't trust them, but rather out of fear that one of them might talk too much and leak information. We couldn't afford any mistakes in the coming days.
When I was leaving, I had warned them that they should consider the consequences if they spoke a single word. Therefore, even Da Kui didn't know they had gone to unload the raw stones.
I asked Jing Lei to set aside her current work and draft a gambling agreement. I told her the terms of the bet and asked her to prepare two copies.
I had initially intended to go and see how Master's progress was going, and whether they would discover our deception if they forced their way in.
Nighttime was different from daytime. Lights were on inside, and there was the sound of machinery. We could only open the main gate and let them in.
Just as I was about to get up, Da Kui called. He said they had arrived, led by the Crown Prince, in five vans with forty to fifty people. However, they weren't carrying any clubs, though it was unclear if they had concealed blades.
I hurried downstairs. Since there was no avoiding it, I had to face them head-on.
I saw many flashlights moving about. Although they weren't carrying weapons, each person had a flashlight, indicating they were truly intent on finding that truckload of stones.
I walked towards them. Seeing me approach, Da Kui quickly stepped in front of me with his imposing physique. I said, "You tend to your duties; don't worry about me."
Upon seeing me, the Crown Prince said, "It's not too late to admit it now. Let me take the stones away, and we'll forget the matter."
I replied, "A man's word should be his bond. We agreed to a gamble, and it's too late for you to regret it now. Since you've entered my premises, you must abide by our agreed-upon rules."
The Crown Prince declared, "Fine, search for them! Li, don't say I didn't give you a chance!"
I said, "Everyone is busy. I implore you to be thorough and not overlook any area. Search diligently."
I figured most of these people had been here during the day and were quite familiar with the place. They split into two groups: one searched the factory area, while the other checked the workshop and warehouse.
The workshop and warehouse were brightly lit, making it obvious whether their raw stones were present. They quickly finished checking a few warehouses.
Their men returned one after another, reporting that they hadn't found anything.
The Crown Prince asked, "Did you search everywhere?"
His subordinates nodded. He looked at them disbelievingly and then said, "Open all the locked workshops and warehouses. You can't claim victory until every corner has been checked."
I told him he was welcome to search anywhere.
At that moment, a subordinate ran over and reported to him, saying that one workshop had lights on and machinery running, but the door was locked from the inside. There was definitely something fishy going on!
The Crown Prince exclaimed, "I know! Your people must be inside carving the characters off my stones. Excellent, I've found it! So, are you going to produce the key, or should we break the door down?"
I had the key on me, but I didn't want to open the door for them. Master was inside diligently restoring the raw stone, and I feared they might discover this and use it to their advantage.
The Crown Prince taunted, "Scared, are you? Brothers, smash the lock! If our raw stones are found here, they'll have to close the raw stone base!"
I countered, "I'm afraid your plan will fall through. This workshop doesn't have what you're looking for; you'll only be disappointed if you open it."
He retorted, "Your raw stone storage all has its doors wide open, yet this workshop is heavily guarded. And you say there's nothing suspicious? Who would believe that?"
He had cornered me. It seemed I had no choice but to open the main door to get past this hurdle.
I turned to a security guard standing next to me and said, "Go and open the main door."
He took the key and looked at me hesitantly. I nodded, signaling him to proceed with unlocking it.
Twenty to thirty flashlights shone directly at the main door. Da Kui, with dozens of his men, stood on the periphery, ready for a confrontation.
I remained calm. Whatever fate brings, one must face it. My men here couldn't afford to falter. Although I knew exactly where his truckload of raw stones was, and he was equally certain that I had intercepted his shipment, he had no recourse without evidence.
As the security guard opened the main door, the Crown Prince's men rushed in. Two large floodlights inside the workshop illuminated the entire space brilliantly.
In the center of the workshop stood a person holding a dental drill. He looked surprised at the sudden influx of men in black. Beside him was a large rock, two meters square.
The Crown Prince hurried over to the giant stone, somewhat astonished by the mysterious way such an ordinary rock was being handled.
I was worried. I was concerned that he might notice the hollow in the middle of the giant stone and draw inferences. I quickly followed, reaching the side of the boulder. To my own surprise, it was a perfectly intact stone. The original cavity was nowhere to be seen. Master was holding the dental drill, polishing the edges.
The Crown Prince looked incredulous, "You've made this stone so mysterious. Are you trying to cheat people with a fake?"
I hadn't expected him to be so astute, immediately suspecting us of deception. However, he had misunderstood; he thought we were creating a fake stone to swindle gamblers.
I replied, "The Crown Prince is indeed the Crown Prince, even his thoughts are so absurd. This is zombie material we gambled back from the Burmese. We're polishing it to use as a decoration at the entrance. How could we possibly use it for gambling? Besides, this stone was bought at the public auction, and it was cut open on the spot, witnessed by all the magnates. It's already a known material; what value does it have for gambling?"
The Crown Prince countered, "Even if you intended to use it as decoration, why hide it? There must be something suspicious going on here."
I said, "Master prefers not to be disturbed when he works. This is a matter of personal habit; what's suspicious about it? Perhaps you've engaged in too much trickery yourself, seeing ghosts in everyone. Furthermore, we have a gambling agreement. If we lose, we lose. Don't create side issues or shift the conflict."
As I spoke, I made a call, asking someone from the office to bring the agreement for him to sign.
He was clearly unwilling and wanted to argue further. I said, "I can give you another half an hour to let your men re-examine any areas they haven't visited. Since it's a gamble, everyone must be convinced of the outcome!"
His men returned batch by batch, reporting no trace of the raw stones.
Perhaps they had special markings, as each mine had a unique marking style, which they would naturally recognize.
However, as group after group returned, the results were all disappointing.
The Crown Prince was extremely confident that he could find these raw stones. No one else in Ruicheng dared to touch his property, except for me.